Anytime
by hmrpotter
Summary: Ginny makes her true feelings known in a heartfelt letter. I love this song because of the feeling that Kelly Clarkson puts into singing it, and it made me think of Ginny and Harry. Sorry if it seems too long!


Disclaimer: All characters, locations and such belong to the wonderful mind of J.K. Rowling. Song lyrics are from Kelly Clarkson's song "Anytime" from her debut CD, "Thankful".

He thought he would feel better by now. He thought that he should be relieved. Ginny _should be safe now._ So why didn't he feel better?

Ron and Hermione had decided to accompany him to 4 Privet Drive, in order to make his last stay with the Dursleys more pleasant than it usually would (not that it's ever been pleasant). The look on the faces of the Dursleys when the trio walked up to them in the station had been priceless. Uncle Vernon spouted his usual rants and threats, to which Ron nonchalantly informed him that although Harry was still underage and therefore couldn't perform magic outside of school, _he _(as well as Hermione) were another matter and that any foul treatment of either him, Hermione or Harry would result in Dudley being possibly turned into a real pig ("or maybe something else? My transfiguration is not the best in the class, but Hermione is bloody brilliant!). The look on their faces…Harry could not remember such a look, unless you counted the look on Malfoy's face after Mad-Eye Moody turned him into a ferret.

But now that they'd gotten settled into Harry's room (he and Ron had decided to give Hermione the bed while Ron conjured up some cots for the two of them), Harry's mind began to wander. He missed Ginny so, _so_ much, much more than he ever anticipated missing her. Oh, he knew he was right to break things off with Ginny; knew that it would be the only way to keep her safe. So why did it feel so wrong? A little voice in the back of his mind kept telling him that it was a mistake, that he should owl her right now and let her know that he was wrong, but as much as he wanted her back, he knew that she would be safer without him.

The next few days went by in a blur…Harry, Ron and Hermione did not have much to do…they spent most of their time outside at the park, just talking to each other about the hunt for the horcruxes and what their course of action should be. Feeling (as well as seeing) the minor changes regarding Ron and Hermione, Harry left the two of them alone most of the time, hoping that the time spent together would _finally_ lead them to admit their feelings for one another. As much as he hated to admit it, he thought that them being a couple would be great comfort to each other, seeing the difficult tasks that they've faced, and would be facing in the future. Harry enjoyed spending a lot of time by himself, just rocking on that lone swing thinking about Dumbledore, thinking about Voldemort, thinking about Ron and Hermione, but mostly thinking about Ginny. _He missed her so much. _Harry found himself wishing for his birthday to hurry up, just so he could get back to the Burrow. Just to be able to look at her would make things better for him (although he'd have to keep those looks _very_ well hidden).

Later that night, Harry was having a very pleasant dream in which he and Ginny were sharing a wonderful kiss under his favorite tree at the Burrow when the dream was interrupted by a tapping on the window. Confused, since his main two correspondents were currently sleeping in his bedroom, he got up to let Hedwig in. "Where have you been, girl?" He asked as Hedwig held her leg out for him to remove the letter. He got his answer when he opened up the parchment and his breath caught in his throat.

Ginny.

_Well, she can't be too upset with me, seeing as she didn't send me a Howler_, Harry smirked as he slowly opened up the letter. As he began to read, his heart began to beat faster as Ginny poured out her heart to him as she'd never done before.

_Harry,_

_I know that you probably didn't expect to hear from me, and I must admit I had not planned to contact you at all. But being here at the Burrow with just mom and dad for company is just driving me nuts!! You tell Hermione and Ron that they will get what's coming to them when you guys arrive for the wedding._

_I wanted you to know that I'm not mad with you. I understand why you did what you did, and although I love the fact that you feel the need to keep me safe, it also makes me sad. After Dumbledore's death, I began to think about a lot of things that I never concerned myself with before then. Things between us were going really well, and I thought we had all the time in the world. Funny how things can change so quickly in the blink of an eye._

_Although you may not want to hear this now, please don't get mad at me. I've heard enough to know that Dumbledore believes that you are the one destined to destroy Voldemort. I also know, from having a few private chats with Dumbledore himself, that love is the great power that saved your life, and that it may ultimately be Voldemort's downfall. I know that we were not together very long, but I just wanted you to know how I really felt, and still feel. Hopefully you can draw on this and get some strength to do what you need to do when the time comes._

And as Harry continued to read, tears began to form in his emerald-green eyes as he closed them to imagine Ginny saying these words to him, face-to-face:

**  
**_**Anytime you feel like you just cant hold on **__**  
**__**Just hold on to my love and I'll help you be strong **__**  
**___

_**But you're so afraid to lose, and baby I can't reach your heart **__**  
**__**I can't face this world that's keeping us apart **__**  
**__**When I can be the one to show you **__**  
**__**Everything you missed before **__**  
**__**Just hold on now, cause I can be the one to give you more **__**  
**__**Let you know **__****_

_**Anytime you need love baby I'm on your side (hey)**__**  
**__**Just let me be the one I can make it alright (I can make it alright)**__**  
**__**Anytime you need love baby you're in my heart **__**  
**__**I can make it alright**_  
_I know that you want to keep me safe, and to keep you from being distracted, I will do what you have asked and stay behind. But I want you to do one thing for me: keep this letter with you at all times. May you feel the love that I have for you always, and may it help you on your journey to bring us peace. Your mother protected you with her love, and I hope that by letting you know how I truly feel, that I can in some way protect you too, so that you can finish what Voldemort started sixteen years ago, and then you can come back to me._

_Please take care of my brother and Hermione, and keep them safe. _

_I love you with all of my heart,_

_Ginny_

Harry felt as if he couldn't breathe. He knew that Ginny's feelings for him were strong, but he had no idea of the magnitude of those feelings. Yes, they never spoke of love to each other, because as Ginny mentioned, they thought they had all the time in the world. That didn't mean that it wasn't there. Harry had felt it long before they actually hooked up, but over time he felt the pull that seemingly held him and Ginny together get stronger and stronger. He just figured that, at 15 and 16 years old, they were too young to really speak of love and that he could wait to tell her; after all, he felt that she knew it every time he looked into her eyes, or when he would kiss her. That overwhelming feeling of loving her the way he did was what compelled him to break things off with her…he couldn't bear it if anything were to happen to her. But now, to see that she revealed herself so unselfishly to him, in order to help him complete his mission, he knew that he could not begin his journey without letting her know that he felt the same way about her.

Harry looked over at his two best friends. At some point during the night, Ron had settled himself onto Harry's bed next to Hermione and she was sleeping peacefully with her head on his shoulder, a small smile on her face. He knew what he had to do, and without further thinking (lest he lose his nerve and change his mind), he scribbled on a piece of parchment, "_Important. Gone to the Burrow. Be back before morning_." He took the travel sized bag of Floo Powder given to him by Professor McGonagall (she had arranged to have the Dursley's fireplace connected to the Network until Harry left for good on his 17th birthday) and 

walked into the living room of his Aunt and Uncle's house. _Thank Merlin for small favors_, thought Harry as he stepped into the grate and with Floo Powder in place cried, "The Burrow".

Harry slid out of the fireplace at the Burrow, and sitting there, asleep on the couch, was the one he had come to see. _Ginny_. Her face looked peaceful, even though her cheeks were stained with what looked like dried tears. She was in such a deep slumber that she didn't awake to the noise of Harry coming out of the fireplace. Harry quietly walked over to her and just looked down at her, love filling his heart so completely that he was surprised that he didn't burst from it. He leaned down, and gently kissed her.

**I look** **into your eyes, and I feel it coming through ****  
****And I can't help but want you more than I want to ****  
****So baby take all of your fears, and cast them all on me ****  
****'Cause all I ever wanted is just to make you see ****  
****That I could be the one to give you ****  
****All that you've been searching for ****  
****Just hold on to my love, and baby let me give you more ****  
****You know, anytime ******

**And now there's no way out ****  
****And I cant help the way I feel ****  
****'Cause baby you're the fire and I'll be waiting right here ****  
****You know my love is real, baby**

Ginny stirred a bit, not wanting to wake from her dream of sitting by the fire and kissing Harry. The dream was so wonderful to her that it almost felt real. Slowly, she began to realize that there was some pressure against her lips, and she opened her eyes. There, kneeling before her was Harry, the love for her shining in his eyes and she looked at him and smiled. He engulfed her in a warm, loving embrace as he kissed her hair and whispered, "I got your letter, and I just wanted to come by and let you know how much it means to me to know that I'm not the only one in love. Thank you."

To which, she replied "Anytime"…


End file.
